Feisty bird faces off with alligator at edge of Florida pond — and leaves victorious
One of Florida’s sandhill cranes got into a standoff with an alligator — and the staring contest ended with the gator throwing a tantrum.
It happened noon Thursday, April 28, at a pond in Lithia, and the only thing damaged was the alligator’s pride. Lithia is about 25 miles southeast of Tampa.
Video recorded by property owner Mary Hendrick shows the fuss began when a young alligator tried exiting the water near a family of cranes that included two parents and their offspring.
The alligator managed to get within a few feet of the shore before one of the birds stepped to the water’s edge, spread its intimidating wings and dared the hissing alligator to get any closer.
“When the gator came up, the sandhill cranes immediately went on alert,” Hendrick told McClatchy News.
“I thought it was really fascinating to be able to watch nature play out. I knew the gator was nowhere near close enough to capture the crane. It was just posturing on both sides.”
The video ends with the bird turning away to continue grazing, at which point the frustrated alligator flops up and down in the water like a frustrated child while remaining in the water.
Hendrick says it’s not the first time she’s seen cranes take on alligators in her backyard. In this case, she says the birds were protecting their offspring from the alligator that was only about 3 feet long.
By contrast, sandhill cranes stand almost 4 feet tall with a wingspan of 6.5 feet, the state reports.
Hendrick’s video has been shared across social media, including on the Birds and Wildlife in Florida Facebook page, where commenters have voiced admiration for the bird’s bravery.
“That sandhill crane is not having it,” Sheri Youngblood Meilus wrote.
“That sandhill be like ... ‘You talking to me?!!! You better run’,” Denise Click posted.
This story was originally published April 29, 2022 at 9:58 AM with the headline "Feisty bird faces off with alligator at edge of Florida pond — and leaves victorious."